The College of Arts and Sciences is composed of the departments of Anthropology, Art, Biology, Broadcasting/Cinema and Theatre, Chemistry, Classical Studies, Communication, English, Geography, German and Russian, History, Mathematical Sciences, Philosophy, Physics and Astronomy, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Romance Languages, and Sociology. It also include the Residential College and Strong College, both of which are residential communities, as well as the Honors Program, Freshman Seminars, and Special Programs in Liberal Studies.

Through its faculty, courses, and programs, the College of Arts and Sciences encourages intellectual inquiry and development of the knowledge and skills that enable critical examination of traditions and assumptions. A liberal education prepares students for informed and reflective participation in society, for sustained cultural and aesthetic enjoyment, and for a lifetime of learning.

Freedom and self-motivation in the context of a rational plan of disciplined study are fundamental to a liberal arts education. Students are encouraged to seek relationships among the various subjects studied and to develop a coherent intellectual perspective. To aid in this process, the College requirements build upon the All University Liberal Education Requirements (AULER).

College Requirements

Included in the list below are the College requirements that differ from AULER along with the designated courses that meet those requirements.

Writing-Intensive Courses

To emphasize the importance of writing both as an essential skill and as a tool for learning, the College requires students to take four Writing-Intensive courses, not to include ENG 101 or 102 or their equivalents. The Writing-Intensive courses offered each semester are designated by a "W" in the printed semester Schedule of Courses.

a. At least one of the four Writing-Intensive courses must be in the lower division (200 and below), at least one in the upper division (300 and above), and at least one in the department or program of the student's primary major. A single course may satisfy both the requirement for a course in the major and one of the requirements for a course at a specific level (lower- or upper-division), as long as a total of four Writing Intensives are taken.

b. Students transferring to UNCG as sophomores are required to take three Writing-Intensive courses, distributed as in 1-a above. Students transferring to UNCG as juniors are required to take two Writing-Intensive courses.

NOTE: Writing-Intensive courses may also meet AULER, College, or major requirements.

Students who obtain a score of 5 on the English Advanced Placement Literature and Composition examination are exempted from one of the required lower-division writing-intensive courses. Contact the Department of English for further information.

College Liberal Education Requirements (CLER)
Approved Courses

(1) Indicates an Honors Core course requiring Honors Program permission prior to registration.AP Indicates that AP credit is available in these categories; see AP courses.

**In German, proficiency may also be demonstrated by completing GER 311.
Non-native speakers of English are exempted from the College foreign language requirement.

CLER Credit Through Study Abroad

In addition to the above listed courses, students may receive CLER credit for courses taken in three overseas programs offered by the University's Office of International Programs. For information about these courses, contact the Office of International Programs, 112 Foust Building, UNCG, 336/334-5404.

Fall Semester in Britain

Language and Literature of Twentieth Century Criticism (CFA)

European Nations and States (CHP-CMO)

Sociology: European Social Structures (CSB-SOC)

Political Science: British Institutions and Politics (CSB-PSC)

Human Geography: The Making of Europe (CHP-CPM)

Environmental Principles (CPS)

Fall Semester in Finland

Cultures and Societies of Scandinavia (CSB)

Indigenous Cultures of the Polar Region (CNW)

Arts of Scandinavia (CFA)

Finnish and Scandinavian Literature in Translation (CWL)

Nordic Nature and Environment (CLS)

Spring Semester in Poland

Arts in Contemporary Poland (CFA)

Culture and Society in Contemporary Poland (CSB-SOC)

Evolution of Political Systems in Eastern Europe (CSB-PSC)

History of Poland (CHP-CMO)

Transition of Central European Countries to Market Economies (CSB-ECO)

Polish Literature in Translation (CWL)

Major Requirements

Major requirements are described for each program listed. A course cross-listed in the major department must be taken within the major and counts toward the total hours in the major.

Minor Requirements

Most departments and interdepartmental programs of the College offer a minor program which may be taken in conjunction with a major. In general, a minor requires 15 to 21 hours in a department or area with no more than 8 hours at the 100 level and no fewer than 9 hours taken at UNCG.

Second Majors

A student may take a second major in conjunction with the first major. This program requires a minimum of 24 semester hours in each of two approved majors. All requirements of each major must be met; hours from the second major can be applied toward the University-wide distribution requirements (AULER). A student with a first major outside the College who chooses a second major in one of the College departments is required to complete all of the departmental requirements for the second major but need not satisfy the College liberal education requirements. In the case of transfer students, at least 12 hours in each major must be taken at UNCG. Students wishing to complete a second major should contact the Office of the Director of Student Academic Services so that an advisor can be appointed in each major.

Special Academic Programs
(see alphabetical listings)

Freshman Seminars

Grogan College

Honors Program

Medical Technology

Plan II

Preprofessional Programs

Residential College

Special Programs in Liberal Studies

Strong College

Study Abroad

Teacher Education

Women's Studies Program

Student-Designed Interdisciplinary Major (SDIM)

The Student-Designed Interdisciplinary Major (SDIM) is an option available to students whose academic goals are not adequately served by any major, or combination of majors, second majors, and minors, available in the College of Arts and Sciences or in one of the professional schools.

Students selecting the SDIM option must satisfy all College Liberal Education Requirements and meet all University academic regulations. The option may not be used as a way of circumventing the requirements of an established major and SDIM Plans (see below) that constitute only minor changes to an existing major will not be approved. An SDIM Plan must represent a coherent academic program of study, not simply a collection of courses assembled to enable a student to obtain a degree.

The procedure for requesting approval of an SDIM is as follows:

A faculty member in the College must agree to serve as the student's advisor and to take responsibility for helping the student design a plan of study and for monitoring the student's progress. A student who wishes to pursue a SDIM, but is unsure which faculty to ask to serve as his or her advisor, should consult initially with the Associate Dean of the College (William A. Link, Room 100, Foust Building).

The student and the advisor devise a Plan of Study for the major. The Plan consists of:

(1) a brief paragraph describing the aims and intentions of the proposed major, and explaining why no existing major or combination of majors, second majors, or minors can be used to pursue those aims;

(2) a list of courses (minimum of 24 credits) that will constitute the major;

(3) either a list of courses or a narrative paragraph explaining how the student will satisfy (or has satisfied) the College's Liberal Education, foreign language, and writing-intensive requirements.

The student's advisor should ensure that courses included in the Plan are in fact offered with reasonable frequency; not all courses listed in the bulletin will be available with sufficient frequency to ensure timely graduation.

The Plan is initially submitted to the Associate Dean of the College for review. The Associate Dean will ensure that the Plan meets all the requirements noted above and will send copies of the approved Plan to the student, the major advisor, and the Office of Student Academic Services.

A student planning to graduate with a SDIM should submit the Plan of Study for review as soon as possible, but in any case prior to registering for the last 45 credit hours needed for graduation.

Any changes to the Plan after it has been submitted must be approved by the Associate Dean, who will forward the modified Plan to the Office of Student Academic Services. Generally, modifications will only be approved because some of the approved courses have become unavailable or because a new course appears to be better suited to the Plan than one that was originally included.